C is for counselling

Steve Midgley  |  Features  |  pastoral care
Date posted:  1 Jan 2016
Share Add       
C is for counselling

photo: iStock

The C-word is tricky.

To some it’s a lovely biblical word we ought to reclaim. The psalmist says ‘I will praise the Lord, who counsels me’ (Psalm 16.7); Proverbs offer us ‘sayings of counsel and knowledge’ (Proverbs 22.20) and Isaiah tells us of a Messiah who will be called ‘Wonderful Counsellor’ (Isaiah 9.6).

Shepherds of the flock

Promoting biblical counselling seems to make biblical sense. Others, however, associate ‘counselling’ with professional psychotherapy and think using the term in our churches will only create misunderstanding, because people will expect accredited secular counselling that has little to do with Scripture.

Share
< Previous article| Features| Next article >
Read more articles by Steve Midgley >>
Features
What is the most underrated quality in the Christian life?

What is the most underrated quality in the Christian life?

Of the many qualities worthy of note in the Christian life, surely one of the most underrated must be perseverance. …

Features
Getting to grips with trauma

Getting to grips with trauma

Every now and again in pastoral ministry we come across something unfamiliar. And in such circumstances our response, sometimes, is …

About en

Our vision, values and history

Read more

Looking for a job?

Browse all our current job adverts

Search